NoleGameday staff score predictions for FSU football at NC State

The Florida State Seminoles are one day away from their final conference game of the 2025 season. It will be a hostile environment when the Seminoles kick off against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Friday night.

So far this year, Florida State is 0-3 outside of Doak Campbell Stadium, finding different ways to self-destruct in road trips to Virginia, Stanford, and Clemson.

Recent history has not treated the Seminoles well in this series. Head coach Mike Norvell is 0-3 against North Carolina State. Florida State has lost five of its last seven trips to Raleigh and hasn't walked out victorious since 2016.

Our staff at NoleGameday provides their predictions and analysis as the Seminoles prepare to take on the Wolfpack.

Dustin Lewis (@DustinLewisNG)

Nov 1, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell walks on the field before the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

It's been impossible to predict what you'll get out of this Florida State team from week to week. When the Seminoles are clicking, they can play with anyone on their schedule. However, when the self-inflicted mistakes add up, this team quickly becomes susceptible to melting down.

Earlier this season, Florida State had a wacky Friday, going into Virginia as a top-10 team before being upset by the Cavaliers. Since then, not much has gone right with the Seminoles dropping five of their last seven games.

Should FSU fans expect things to be any easier with a trip to Raleigh on the docket? It's a place that has provided the Seminoles with plenty of horrors over the years.

NC State got smacked by Miami last weekend, 41-7. That type of result makes me feel the Wolfpack is going to play a lot better back at home, where they're 4-1 on the season. In their most recent home game, the program handed No. 8 Georgia Tech its first loss.

Quarterback CJ Bailey is more than capable of putting together a big game through the air. He's got a variety of talent at his disposal, as seven receivers have caught 20 or more passes. Plus, running back Hollywood Smothers is averaging 111.0 total yards per game, top-20 in the FBS.

The defense is quite poor as North Carolina State ranks near the bottom of the country in most metrics, including No. 134 in passing yards allowed per game.

This feels like a game where a lot of points will be going up on the scoreboard. Florida State had a weird Friday go against them in September. This time, the Seminoles embrace the chaos and it goes in their favor.

2025 Season Prediction Record: 4-6

Seminoles 37, Wolfpack 36

Logan Robinson (@LogansTwitty)

It’s going to be interesting to see how this FSU team plays on the road once again. It has been abysmal for the most part on offense, and as we all know, whenever FSU has to travel on a Friday night to Raleigh, things don’t usually go according to plan. If I had to pick a game for Florida State to win out of the next two, I’d lean NC State over Florida.

That’s why I’m picking the Seminoles to win, but I also am expecting a solid performance from the offense in this one. I know, wild right? On the road?! I don’t know, something is telling me 25+ points are going up. We shall see.

2025 Season Prediction Record: 4-6

Seminoles 28, Wolfpack 20

Austin Veazey (@EasyVeazeyNG)

FSU is on the road, on a Friday night, at NC State, and they're favored? Why??? This is the type of line that looks like Las Vegas is begging for people to take NC State straight up because they know something.

Florida State has been horrific on the road this year. NC State has sometimes played up to the competition. I don't see why I'm supposed to take FSU in this game.

2025 Season Prediction Record: 4-6

Wolfpack 23, Seminoles 21

Dillon Riera (@13d_riera)

The Seminoles took care of business last week, cruising past the Virginia Tech Hokies in the final home stand of the season. Following the win, the 'Noles moved to 5-5 on the year, one win away from bowl eligibility. Meanwhile, the Hokies fell to 3-7 before announcing the hire of James Franklin as their new head coach. But, that's neither here nor there.

Right now, FSU is focused on turning around on quick notice in preparation for its Friday night contest with the NC State Wolfpack, and HC Mike Norvell is determined to get it right on the road.

That's easier said than done, however. Having not won a road game since November 25, 2023, Florida State knows that more than anyone. Plus, this week's opponent presents their own set of challenges. NC State has been a perennial thorn in FSU's side, and the Carter-Finley Stadium crowd has repeatedly given them fits.

It's hard not to get hit with the flashback of October 6, 2012, while writing this. Moreover, FSU has not defeated the Wolfpack since 2019.

Safe to say, NC State has had Florida State's number, even when the 'Noles have things going right for them. Coming off an embarrassing loss to the Miami Hurricanes, the 'Pack is sure to be on edge for Friday night's contest, determined to take out the frustrations from that loss on an inconsistent Florida State team.

HC Dave Doeren's squad has had a trying year, but wins over both Virginia and Georgia Tech showcase this team's ability to strike on any given Saturday. Their passing attack is something of note, as their 262.0 passing yards per game rank 35th in the nation.

The outlook is not all bad for the 'Noles, however. NC State's defense is one of the worst in the country, yielding 440.4 total yards per game, allowing nearly 300 passing yards per game, and ranks 118th in the country giving up 31.6 points per game.

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack's offense struggles to find running room, and an average of 30.0 points per game places them at 54th in the country. Depending on which Florida State team arrives in Raleigh on Friday, the Seminoles possess the ability to leave North Carolina with bowl eligibility. Of course, we all know that's a pretty big unknown.

Whilst my predictions have been wildly incorrect all year long, allow me to give a go at it just these last two times: I expect this one to be a back-and-forth contest, as both teams share their fair share of scores, turnovers, penalties, and the like.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Friday night ACC matchup if the officiating wasn't suspect either, so I expect a little bit of that as well. Expect high drama in the waning moments of the game, and a score in the final seconds that ultimately decides it.

2025 Season Prediction Record: 4-6

Seminoles 34, Wolfpack 31

Tommy Mire (@TommyM3III)

A short week hasn’t been favorable to the Seminoles this season, and a road game added to that could spell doom for Florida State’s bowl hopes. There are a few caveats to this, however. Statistically, Florida State ranks among the top in both offense and defense in the conference, while NC State is near the middle to the bottom in most categories.

We spoke with FSU DC Tony White on Tuesday, and he didn’t shy away from the need to play precision football against NC State’s explosive offense to get the job done in Raleigh. I’m a little hesitant already, given the track record on the road and recent history between the two programs.

If Florida State loses, it could lead to the beginning of the end of the Mike Norvell era in Tallahassee. If they win, a celebrated road victory is in store, and a victory over rival UF would probably satiate the fanbase enough to put its pitchforks away and prepare its plans for a bowl game.

I think FSU has far better talent than NC State, but talent doesn’t always equal results, and the biggest question is: Which team will show up?

FSU walks away with a victory in a sold-out Carter-Finley, but it won’t be pretty.

2025 Season Prediction Record: 5-5

Seminoles 30, Wolfpack 28

Robert Malcom (@kwrobertm)

I was genuinely surprised by how well Florida State performed last weekend against Virginia Tech, especially in the second half of the game. That being said, I'm not convinced that the Seminoles will be able to play to the same level this weekend against NC State.

Mike Norvell has yet to win against the Wolfpack, and the last time the Noles played a Friday night road game, things didn't turn out so well for FSU.

I could be wrong about all this, and maybe the team has made the right adjustments to their preparation for road games, but based on how they have performed on the road this season, against mediocre teams, I can't justify picking Florida State to win this weekend over a team facing almost the same issues across the board.

2025 Season Prediction Record: 3-7

Wolfpack 31, Seminoles 24

Jackson Bakich (@jacksonbakich)

The Florida State Seminoles will need to defy history to get the job done in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday night. The Wolfpack played spoiler against Georgia Tech at the beginning of the month but lost to a poor Virginia Tech team at home. Which NC State team will FSU get? Which FSU team will NC State get? The one that beat ‘Bama or the one that lost to Stanford?

That will be answered this week. While the offense has been flat on the road for the past two years, I think they get the job done. The tide will have to turn at some point.

2025 Season Prediction Record: 5-5

Seminoles 34, Wolfpack 28

CONSENSUS: Florida State (5-2)

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